Feeling a bit left out, Gong Qinxin also served her son some food. “Pei Chen, this is braised pork that I made. It used to be your favorite.”
“I don’t want it.”
Gong Qinxin’s hand paused in mid-air. “What about these shrimp…?”
“Don’t serve me anything.”
Gong Qinxin, seeing Pei Chen’s cold demeanor, clenched her fists in frustration but kept her smile intact. “Alright, then you eat what you like.”
Pei Chen kept his head down, his Adam’s apple moving as he silently ate his meal.
The night deepened, dark as ink.
Meanwhile, at the Liang household, Liang Zhiyi had finished packing all her belongings.
She walked over to her desk and took out a box from beneath it, inside of which lay a brown scarf.
She had bought it for Pei Chen the day before New Year’s Eve, thinking that since he had given her a scarf, she wanted to give him one too, so he could feel extra warmth in the New Year.
It was just that she didn’t get a chance to see him on New Year’s Eve.
So she could only give it to him tonight.
She wrapped herself in the beige scarf that Pei Chen had given her, stood in front of the mirror, and looked at her reflection, forcing a smile.
She couldn’t let herself look too sad. If Pei Chen noticed, he would feel sad too. He would definitely find it hard to part with her.
Finally, she grabbed the bag and headed out.
The cold winter wind howled through the night as she tightened her coat around her and walked alone under the dim streetlights.
Half an hour later, she arrived at Pei Chen’s neighborhood.
Meanwhile, in the Pei household, the three of them had finished dinner.
Gong Qinxin turned to Pei Chen and said, “Son, I bought you a cake. Should we bring it out and sing you a birthday song? You used to love celebrating your birthday when you were little.”
“No.”
“Then at least take a look at the gift I got you. I had a friend specially bring it from abroad…”
“I told you, whatever you give me, I don’t want it.”
Pei Chen looked up at her, his eyes dark. “We’ve finished dinner. You can leave now, right?”
Gong Qinxin was taken aback. Pei Chen pushed his father’s wheelchair toward the living room.
Frustrated that all her efforts had been in vain and that Pei Chen continued to be distant, Gong Qinxin could no longer hold back her emotions. She followed him, standing in front of him and finally bursting out, questioning him:
“Pei Chen, do you hate your mother that much? I’m your mother—I love you more than anything. No matter what, I gave birth to you!”
Pei Chen looked at her, his eyes growing colder, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “You gave birth to me? But didn’t you also abandon me later?”
“I didn’t! I never gave up on you. Son, I still hope you can come live with me. I want to make up for the past.”
“Make up?”
“And what exactly have you done to make up for the past years?”
Gong Qinxin grabbed his hand. “If you come with me, you won’t need to work part-time to save for tuition. I can help you get your leg treated. You can live a life where you never have to worry about anything. You can have whatever you want.”
“Do you think that’s what I need? Do you think giving me money means you love me?”
Pei Chen’s brow furrowed, his voice cold. “You don’t even understand what I truly need.”
“How can I not understand? Just look at your life without money—what kind of life is that?”
Gong Qinxin, enraged, pointed at their home. “Look at this place! It’s so old and run-down. You work so hard, and for what? You ended up in a car accident and ruined your leg. This is the result of not coming to live with me!”
“And what about that girl Zhiyi? Her family is so well-off. How do you think you can ever be worthy of her when you’re stuck here with your father?”
Pei Chen felt a sharp pain stab through his heart at her words.
“If you had stayed with me, you’d be a wealthy young man now. You could openly pursue someone like her without worrying about being called a social climber. You could hold your head high. But in your current situation, what right do you have to love her?”
As her words fell, a heavy silence settled over the room.
Pei Yongxia’s face was filled with distress. “How could you say such things to our son…”
Gong Qinxin retorted, “Am I wrong?”
Her words were like a knife, cutting deeply into Pei Chen’s heart.
He stared down at the floor, his eyelashes trembling as his eyes slowly reddened.
It was one thing for outsiders to look down on him and insult him.
But the cruelest part was that even his own mother believed the same.
“You’re right, I don’t deserve her.”
Pei Chen let out a bitter laugh, his lips curling up in self-mockery. After a few seconds, he lifted his gaze to meet hers:
“Do you really think marrying into a wealthy family makes you so great?”
Pei Chen’s eyes locked onto hers, his voice cutting with each word. “Ever since my dad’s accident, you couldn’t wait to leave this family, could you? Did you really think I didn’t know about your affair?”
Gong Qinxin froze, her expression turning blank.
“Half a year before you asked for a divorce, there was a man who pursued you. He was a wealthy businessman, and after getting together with him, you became the office manager. During the day, you spent time with him, and at night, you came home and looked down on my dad. You thought I didn’t know?”
Pei Yongxia’s eyes turned red, and he tried to stop him. “Pei Chen…”
But Pei Chen didn’t stop. “Do you remember what you said to that man the day before you and my dad went to finalize the divorce?”
That day, Pei Chen had left school early to find Gong Qinxin. As he approached her office, he saw through the slightly open door that his mother was in the arms of another man, the two of them whispering sweet nothings—
“Even if your son doesn’t want to live with you, so what? Once you marry me, you’ll have a son who will call you ‘mom.’ What are you worried about?”
“But I’m still concerned about Pei Chen, what if he doesn’t do well…”
“Who cares? Just throw some money at them. You’ll be rid of that burden, and we can have our own child together later.”
“Alright, I’d like to have a daughter with you…”
Pei Chen had gone home crying that day.
This was something Pei Chen had kept bottled up for years, never telling anyone.
He repeated every word from the past to Gong Qinxin: “Do you remember? To you, my dad and I were nothing but burdens. What right do you have to say you love me?”
“When you had to choose between me and a life of wealth, you chose the latter. While other kids had their mothers’ love, I spent years without a mother,” his voice trembled, “I took care of my dad by myself, studied on my own, worked on my own. Every time there was a parent-teacher conference, my seat was empty. People talked behind my back, saying my mom didn’t want her child.”
Pei Chen glared at her, his voice hoarse, “When I needed you the most, where were you? And now you talk about making it up to me—how do you plan to make up for that?”
“You chased after a life of luxury, leaving my dad behind. And now you want to drag me into it, asking me to abandon him too. How is he supposed to survive?! I don’t mind living this life with my dad. No matter how hard it is, how tired I get, I will never go with you.”
His voice shook with emotion, “I will work hard to give my dad a good life. I’ll earn the money to fix my leg. You can look down on me all you want, but I don’t need your pity or your charity. Not now, not ever.”
…
Outside the door.
Liang Zhiyi stood at the entrance, listening to the voices coming from inside.
She had arrived a few minutes earlier. The soundproofing in the old residential building wasn’t great, and just as she was about to knock, she overheard the argument between Pei Chen and Gong Qinxin.
She hesitated for a moment, worried that it would be awkward if someone opened the door and saw her standing there, so she decided to head back down.
She slowly made her way to a small park within the complex, sitting on a swing while holding the bag she brought, her head bowed.
Pei Chen’s words echoed in her mind, and her heart felt as if it was being squeezed tight.
It was the first time she had heard Pei Chen speak with such anger, as if all the years of suppressed grievances and resentment had finally erupted.
She realized how much he had longed for his mother’s love and how hard his life had been all these years.
Liang Zhiyi sighed, sitting on the swing for a long time.
After what felt like an eternity, she glanced at her phone and saw that an hour had passed. She guessed that whatever had happened at Pei Chen’s home was probably over by now.
She stood up and slowly made her way back to Pei Chen’s building.
Hesitating at the thought of going upstairs, afraid it might be too sudden, she took out her phone.
Standing under the streetlight, feeling the cold seeping into her bones, she dialed his number.
Upstairs, Pei Chen sat alone in the corner of his room, his gaze empty and distant. When his phone screen lit up, his eyes slowly drifted toward it, seeing Liang Zhiyi’s name.
The phone rang.
He stared at it in silence, not answering.
After a moment, she called again.
Pei Chen closed his eyes briefly, then finally picked up the phone and put it to his ear.
When Liang Zhiyi saw that he had answered, her eyes lit up slightly.
“Pei Chen…”
His voice was distant, “What’s the matter?”
Hearing the tone of his voice, her heart tightened. After a moment, she softly asked, “Pei Chen, do you have some time right now? Could you…”
Could you come downstairs? I want to see you one last time before I leave.
Before she could finish her sentence, Pei Chen interrupted her, “Whatever you need to say, just say it over the phone.”
Her words caught in her throat. She could sense how troubled he was but didn’t know what to say. “Pei Chen… are you okay?”
“Liang Zhiyi.”
He suddenly called her name.
She was momentarily stunned, and after a long pause, she heard his hoarse voice, “Stop liking me.”
The girl was suddenly frozen in place.
“We’re not from the same world. I’ve already told you… you’re not the type of person I like.”
Her mind went blank, and her nose tingled with the onset of tears.
“Pei Chen, you’re lying…”
“Wake up, Liang Zhiyi. We’re not suitable for each other. Even if we were together, there’s no future for us.”
This world wouldn’t allow someone like him to stand by her side.
Her eyes welled up, and she began to cry uncontrollably, “How can you know without even trying…”
“Some things… you don’t need to try to know the outcome.”
“Pei Chen, I don’t believe you…”
His fingers gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white as he stared up at the ceiling, a sharp pain piercing his heart. His voice was as broken as it could be:
“I won’t give you anything in return. You should give up now.”
He ended the call.
When she saw that the call had ended, she lowered her head, tears falling onto the scarf in her hands, her vision blurred by her crying.
“Pei Chen, I haven’t even had the chance to say goodbye to you properly…”
She won’t be able to sit next to him anymore, and without her by his side, causing a ruckus, he’ll be able to study in peace. Without her there, no one will cling to him and annoy him, but she won’t be there to take care of him, to watch him play basketball, or to always be with him.
She squatted down on the ground, burying her head as she cried:
“Pei Chen, you still don’t want me…”
She had liked him for so long, and before leaving, she still didn’t get to hear him say he liked her.
She knew he cared about her, but in the end, he still retreated. He still chose to give up on her.